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by Michael Curry
When I first came to China, I knew only two facts about my destination: there were two million people there, and it was the birthplace of tofu.
My destination was Huainan, Anhui Province, China. My mission was to teach
English to young learners. "Young learners" meant anyone who
could afford to come to this private school, and all the children of the
headmaster's friends.
Two million people made me think that I was headed for a well-known city.
After all, my home city in New Zealand had a population of less than half
a million, and I thought it was pretty big! What I hadn't thought too hard
about was the comparative size of China. Here, two million can inhabit
a backward, rural city. And they do. It's called Huainan.
Huainan's claim to fame is as the place where tofu was invented. In actual
fact, it's a small industrial city based around coal mining. The air is
visible most days; the smoke stacks running along the horizon are always
working.
I'd figured that in two million people there was bound to be lots of other
Western folk around. Sadly, no. In fact, as I walk down the streets heads
turn and the Chinese exclaim "foreigner!", nudge their friends,
and giggle. Quite disconcerting, but a fact of life in small-town China
that you must get used to.
My racial novelty was used as advertising fodder for the school. On my
very first day, I was hailed by a Chinese colleague. "There will be
cameras in your class today," she said. I gagged a response that sounded
liked "Waddjameen?!"
"Video cameras, for the local television station."
"Ah well.. okay"
Now, how many of you can say you've been on television in a language you
don't understand?
The vice-headmistress came in with a still camera in a subsequent lesson. She took plenty of photos of me teaching, looking particularly silly as I tried to raise smiles from my students. Now the pictures grace the front entrance to the school.
I took the approach to teaching that the best thing I could do for these children was to instil in them the idea that English can be useful, and that education is worthwhile, but mostly, that learning can be fun. To this end I made a fool of myself on a regular basis, and encouraged the students to do the same.
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The children in my classes were generally easy to teach. They found the
classes an interesting break from their normally strict routine. I thought
maybe people thought I was too soft on them, playing games and encouraging
noise, until the vice-headmistress took me to one side. "Thank you
for bringing a new method of teaching to this city." Well, er, you
know, I do what I can.
My last class of the year involved the song "London Bridge is falling
down", along with the actions. As the students left the school they
broke into an impromptu chorus, getting most of the words right. Where
they couldn't remember the words, they just made noise. I finished the
year with a smile on my face. But most importantly, so did the students.
It wasn't hard to make the decision to stay.
What qualifications do I need to teach in China?
Technically, you need at least an undergraduate degree (in anything). Unfortunately, the law also states that in lieu of a degree, teachers with adequate "life experience" may be admitted. This means that many Westerners come to China with only a short TEFL certificate, if that.
How do I find a job?
There are plenty of websites out there advertising jobs. There is a constant shortage of teachers in China, and you should be able to find a position at almost any time of the year. Generally it is not recommended to work through a recruiter, since there are plenty of scam artists around. Negotiating directly with the school you are interested in can result in a higher salary, too. Make sure the school puts you in contact with other teachers who have worked at that school. An inability to do this indicates that the school cannot legally hire foreigners.
How do I find a legal job?
The school should take care of your visa application, and they should be
able to get you a Z-type visa. This is the only visa that allows you to
work legally in China for a salary. You will also need a residence permit,
which has recently been updated to a simple page in your passport (it used
to be a separate book).
What should I be earning?
The Chinese currency is called the RMB, or the Yuan. Job offers above 3,000RMB
per month are standard, but salaries up to 10,000RMB are not unheard of.
Most common is between 4,000-6,000RMB. Private institutions often pay higher,
but require you to work more hours per week. Fairly standard additional
items include: a paid round-trip airfare after 12 months of work, a paid-for
and furnished apartment, a computer with internet access, a telephone capable
of calling internationally.
What will it cost to live?
This varies greatly from city to city. In smaller cities you would struggle to spend 2,000RMB a month. In bigger cities you would need to set aside more. Wherever you are, it is usually pretty easy to save a portion of your salary each month.
Any other tips or tricks?
When looking for a job, keep your resume to one page, and use very simple
language. Chances are it's being read by someone whose first language is
not English. Don't take too many things with you, since most things you
will be able to buy cheaply in China. But if you wear large-sized clothing,
take it with you. Also take any toiletries that you can't live without,
it can be hard to find things like deodorant and tampons in many Chinese
cities!
Above all, keep a positive attitude and enjoy your teaching!
About the author: Michael Curry is a teacher of English to children in Anhui Province, China. His favourite and most successful classes are those aimed at children who have never spoken a word of English before. He is the author of Small Steps, a resource book for English teachers new to teaching children. Small Steps includes thirty recommended teaching units with accompanying worksheets, over forty games and activities, and various miscellaneous resources. It is available from Booklocker.com ( along with a FREE Sample ) , here: http://www.booklocker.com/books/2058.html |
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